Passage into Self - Ria Ray at The Spin Gallery

Want a little clarity in your life? Then be sure to stop by The Spin Gallery this evening and search for your soul in one of Ria Ray's meditative paintings. A long time friend and the most talented artist I must say, has been creating the most amazing work the past 6 years and again her work will be on display on Abbott Kinney. She focuses on spiritual clarity in her canvases and her work is both meditative and cathartic with paintings that provide a spiritual experience. By day, Ria is a spiritual healer and the maker of those cool mantra ties I've mentioned in the past. But slowly her paintings are rising up to the forefront and being noticed by galleries and buyers. I've been lucky enough to collect two of her beautiful masterpieces for my home and every time I admire them I certainly feel the bliss. So find your bliss tonight and meet the artist at her mixed media solo exhibition at The Spin Gallery - tonight from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at 1410 Abbott Kinney, Venice. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Maiden Flight.

"You cannot describe the indescribable, but you can trust it." - Ria Ray.

Passage into Self - Ria Ray at The Spin Gallery

Want a little clarity in your life? Then be sure to stop by The Spin Gallery this evening and search for your soul in one of Ria Ray's meditative paintings. A long time friend and the most talented artist I must say, has been creating the most amazing work the past 6 years and again her work will be on display on Abbott Kinney. She focuses on spiritual clarity in her canvases and her work is both meditative and cathartic with paintings that provide a spiritual experience. By day, Ria is a spiritual healer and the maker of those cool mantra ties I've mentioned in the past. But slowly her paintings are rising up to the forefront and being noticed by galleries and buyers. I've been lucky enough to collect two of her beautiful masterpieces for my home and every time I admire them I certainly feel the bliss. So find your bliss tonight and meet the artist at her mixed media solo exhibition at The Spin Gallery - tonight from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at 1410 Abbott Kinney, Venice. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Maiden Flight.

"You cannot describe the indescribable, but you can trust it." - Ria Ray.

D~Luxe Baby

Got another one for ya - DLuxeList.com. Fashion writer and scout for all things chic and beautiful, Dena Smolek, has kindly given Stacia another shout out, this time for our little unknown collection of Stacia Baby. It all started with our signature Space-dye baby hoodie (as featured by Dena on her fabulous site) and now we've slowly branched out into some real luxe baby clothes. Coming to stores next month, is a full-blown baby line of space-dye dresses (with matching ruffle or crochet panties), beach tunics (miniaturized!), itsy-bitsy swing cardis, and of course, more beach-friendly hoodies (all in sizes 3 months to 4 years). And coming soon to shopstacia.com next month...

But, back to DLuxeList.com, you gotta check out Dena's site, a chic guide to beautiful things. It's a style guide that's like your personal shopper, scouring the earth for the latest and greatest finds and bringing it to you in a nice, edited blog format. And if you're in a rush, there's a list of categories to the right that breaks it all down for you so you can go right to the source of what you're jonzing for. And loving the handy Sales, Events, and D~Luxelist Deals round up at the top of the blog. Boy, I don't even miss the New York Times Style section anymore. There's some great fashion blogs out there that you don't even need to touch another newspaper or fashion mag again! Another must-blog and fabulous girlfriend network is - Splendora.com - The Authority on Fabulous - need they say more?! And for the ultimate style community there's Stylehive.com - a tightly edited blog giving you the latest round-up of what's hot in fashion (in the moment literally.) Why read Vogue and other magazines that are produced 4 months ago when you can read a fashion blog and read the now.

D~Luxe Baby

Got another one for ya - DLuxeList.com. Fashion writer and scout for all things chic and beautiful, Dena Smolek, has kindly given Stacia another shout out, this time for our little unknown collection of Stacia Baby. It all started with our signature Space-dye baby hoodie (as featured by Dena on her fabulous site) and now we've slowly branched out into some real luxe baby clothes. Coming to stores next month, is a full-blown baby line of space-dye dresses (with matching ruffle or crochet panties), beach tunics (miniaturized!), itsy-bitsy swing cardis, and of course, more beach-friendly hoodies (all in sizes 3 months to 4 years). And coming soon to shopstacia.com next month...

But, back to DLuxeList.com, you gotta check out Dena's site, a chic guide to beautiful things. It's a style guide that's like your personal shopper, scouring the earth for the latest and greatest finds and bringing it to you in a nice, edited blog format. And if you're in a rush, there's a list of categories to the right that breaks it all down for you so you can go right to the source of what you're jonzing for. And loving the handy Sales, Events, and D~Luxelist Deals round up at the top of the blog. Boy, I don't even miss the New York Times Style section anymore. There's some great fashion blogs out there that you don't even need to touch another newspaper or fashion mag again! Another must-blog and fabulous girlfriend network is - Splendora.com - The Authority on Fabulous - need they say more?! And for the ultimate style community there's Stylehive.com - a tightly edited blog giving you the latest round-up of what's hot in fashion (in the moment literally.) Why read Vogue and other magazines that are produced 4 months ago when you can read a fashion blog and read the now.

Cool Blog Alert - Ecofabulous.com

I recently discovered a cool blog - Ecofabulous.com - which plugs eco-friendly products and all things green and beautiful (love their cute birdy logo!) Their motto is "sustainable, sexy, stuff" - what more could you want! There's everything from organic olive oil, to chic bedding, to green fashion, to home furnishings for an eco-abode, to certified soda - you name it, they got the digs on the latest eco-anything. Thankfully, my Eco-Spacedye has recently been included on their list of cool, sustainable products - yeah! Check out the link to our blurb and be sure to peruse the site for other great finds.

Cool Blog Alert - Ecofabulous.com

I recently discovered a cool blog - Ecofabulous.com - which plugs eco-friendly products and all things green and beautiful (love their cute birdy logo!) Their motto is "sustainable, sexy, stuff" - what more could you want! There's everything from organic olive oil, to chic bedding, to green fashion, to home furnishings for an eco-abode, to certified soda - you name it, they got the digs on the latest eco-anything. Thankfully, my Eco-Spacedye has recently been included on their list of cool, sustainable products - yeah! Check out the link to our blurb and be sure to peruse the site for other great finds.

Fashion's Doom and Gloom

The buyers have spoken and the word from the massive trade show, New York's Fashion Coterie, is all doom and gloom. Yes, it's sad to say, but retail and the economy in general are really putting a cramp on the buyer's pocketbooks. Unfortunately that affects what you'll be seeing on the selling floor next Fall. All the doom and gloom of the housing bubble, c/card debt, high gas prices, and the uncertainty of an election have finally trickled down to the wonderful world of Fashion. The New York runway collections have been reported as being safe and practical. Even a disgusted Booth Moore of the LA Times wrote, "So many designers were stuck in the past, reviving old styles and old brands, too nervous to experiment during this time of economic uncertainty, that it was almost aggressively boring." What a shame for the frivolous world of fashion, where over-the-top clothing and accessories are suppose to take our minds off the reality of the economy. Yeah, we might all need more affordable options since we're tightening our purse-strings, but that doesn't mean we have to go overboard and start wearing all gray and lowering our hemlines. Fashion is certainly cyclical and I've been through this before, where fashion pulls back during bad economic times and than forges ahead and comes back even more lavish when times are rolling.

All in all, we had one of our best shows at Coterie this season, so I certainly can't complain about the economy affecting my business yet. But the word from the buyers is definitely one of caution. Only the strong stores who can ride the fickle wave of retail and endure the ups n' downs, will ultimately survive. I always design and present a much bigger collection than I actually end up producing, to give the buyers a lot of options (especially since the two coasts in general can want very different things.) And every time, thankfully, the line edits itself to a more manageable collection to produce. This season, with all the doom and gloom from buyers, they were clearly selecting the most neutral, safest color palette (think browns, grays, and blacks) and shapes that are classic, salable, and non-experimental for sure. I'm totally okay with that, as long as they place an order, but from a designer's stand point, it's a little of a bummer.

As a designer, our role is to push the envelope and give buyers things they haven't seen before or at least give them a fresh eye to what's ahead in fashion. I'm sure the Marc Jacobs and Peter Soms out there are equally as frustrated as me. Yes, their collections this season were some-what tamer and certainly not very experimental, but the "playing it safe" was not their idea I'm sure. From my experience at Calvin Klein, the merchandisers of the corporate world of fashion sometimes put their thumb down on innovation when sales are in a slump. I remember many design/merchandise meetings where merchandisers and the money men would want to bring back repeat styles that were proven in the past as good sellers rather than add new untested styles to the line during tough economic times. The designers, unfortunately, must grit their teeth and go with the flow so that the money keeps rolling in and they can keep forging ahead as a business.

So here we go again, let's add some neutral, safe colors (do we really need more gray and black in our wardrobes?) and bring back those tried and true best-sellers from last year (God forbid if we should try something new!) Forget about the fun, new colors, and experimental ideas (let's save those for when the economy goes back up hill) and let's play it safe. Unfortunately, you the consumer will suffer the most, and have boring, uninspiring choices next Fall in the stores.

Fashion's Doom and Gloom

The buyers have spoken and the word from the massive trade show, New York's Fashion Coterie, is all doom and gloom. Yes, it's sad to say, but retail and the economy in general are really putting a cramp on the buyer's pocketbooks. Unfortunately that affects what you'll be seeing on the selling floor next Fall. All the doom and gloom of the housing bubble, c/card debt, high gas prices, and the uncertainty of an election have finally trickled down to the wonderful world of Fashion. The New York runway collections have been reported as being safe and practical. Even a disgusted Booth Moore of the LA Times wrote, "So many designers were stuck in the past, reviving old styles and old brands, too nervous to experiment during this time of economic uncertainty, that it was almost aggressively boring." What a shame for the frivolous world of fashion, where over-the-top clothing and accessories are suppose to take our minds off the reality of the economy. Yeah, we might all need more affordable options since we're tightening our purse-strings, but that doesn't mean we have to go overboard and start wearing all gray and lowering our hemlines. Fashion is certainly cyclical and I've been through this before, where fashion pulls back during bad economic times and than forges ahead and comes back even more lavish when times are rolling.

All in all, we had one of our best shows at Coterie this season, so I certainly can't complain about the economy affecting my business yet. But the word from the buyers is definitely one of caution. Only the strong stores who can ride the fickle wave of retail and endure the ups n' downs, will ultimately survive. I always design and present a much bigger collection than I actually end up producing, to give the buyers a lot of options (especially since the two coasts in general can want very different things.) And every time, thankfully, the line edits itself to a more manageable collection to produce. This season, with all the doom and gloom from buyers, they were clearly selecting the most neutral, safest color palette (think browns, grays, and blacks) and shapes that are classic, salable, and non-experimental for sure. I'm totally okay with that, as long as they place an order, but from a designer's stand point, it's a little of a bummer.

As a designer, our role is to push the envelope and give buyers things they haven't seen before or at least give them a fresh eye to what's ahead in fashion. I'm sure the Marc Jacobs and Peter Soms out there are equally as frustrated as me. Yes, their collections this season were some-what tamer and certainly not very experimental, but the "playing it safe" was not their idea I'm sure. From my experience at Calvin Klein, the merchandisers of the corporate world of fashion sometimes put their thumb down on innovation when sales are in a slump. I remember many design/merchandise meetings where merchandisers and the money men would want to bring back repeat styles that were proven in the past as good sellers rather than add new untested styles to the line during tough economic times. The designers, unfortunately, must grit their teeth and go with the flow so that the money keeps rolling in and they can keep forging ahead as a business.

So here we go again, let's add some neutral, safe colors (do we really need more gray and black in our wardrobes?) and bring back those tried and true best-sellers from last year (God forbid if we should try something new!) Forget about the fun, new colors, and experimental ideas (let's save those for when the economy goes back up hill) and let's play it safe. Unfortunately, you the consumer will suffer the most, and have boring, uninspiring choices next Fall in the stores.

Stacia Baby Returns - Fall '08 Preview

My fit model is a little older now (about 15 months) so my sample size has increased to 12-18 months, and she's a little harder to peg down for a photo unless you have a high speed shutter, which I don't (take all my pictures with a digital elf.) Kaiulani even pulled a little diva Kate Moss attitude and slumped to the floor refusing to look at the camera when I did the first photoshoot too close to nap time. But all in all, she came through for me once again and I got some decent shots of my new Fall '08 Stacia Baby collection.

Using the same fabrics, colors, and overall inspiration as my women's Fall collection, there's some great updated hoodies, leggings, and of course cutey cute dresses for babies and toddlers. In the super-soft bamboo/cotton fabric I did my signature unisex hoodie, slightly updated, paired with some great "grow-into" cuffed leggings (let the cuff down as junior sprouts.) And there's the cutest little sailor dress with faux-drawstring drop-waist and v-neck ruching. In the 100% eco-spacedye Bamboo, I brought back the best-selling pointelle hoodie, along with a new pullover top with large crochet buttons and a unique ribbed tuck stitch detail (looks especially cute in Mesa on Kai!) My favorite dress of the season is the pointelle swing dress with just enough ruffle to make your girl want to swirl.

The final group in 100% merino spacedye was actually inspired by my own baby clothes that my Mom had saved for me when I was a baby. I have a great little collection of acrylic and wool handknit baby cardigans and dresses that I wore as a baby and that my daughter wore when she was about 3 months old. These little keepsakes were the inspiration behind this group of intricately detailed sweaters with unique stitches, crocheted and pointelle accents, and old-fashioned matching bonnets. The pom pom dress is another favorite of mine and especially charming in Laurel on Kai (loving it with the pink baby Uggs!)

We won't really debut these goodies until the March Children's Show in NYC (although you can catch a glimpse of some of the samples at the women's Coterie show right now.) I'll be shipping my first Stacia Baby merchandise to stores the end of this month for Spring so let's hope it's received well and the buyers come back for more Stacia Baby for Fall!

Stacia Baby Returns - Fall '08 Preview

My fit model is a little older now (about 15 months) so my sample size has increased to 12-18 months, and she's a little harder to peg down for a photo unless you have a high speed shutter, which I don't (take all my pictures with a digital elf.) Kaiulani even pulled a little diva Kate Moss attitude and slumped to the floor refusing to look at the camera when I did the first photoshoot too close to nap time. But all in all, she came through for me once again and I got some decent shots of my new Fall '08 Stacia Baby collection.

Using the same fabrics, colors, and overall inspiration as my women's Fall collection, there's some great updated hoodies, leggings, and of course cutey cute dresses for babies and toddlers. In the super-soft bamboo/cotton fabric I did my signature unisex hoodie, slightly updated, paired with some great "grow-into" cuffed leggings (let the cuff down as junior sprouts.) And there's the cutest little sailor dress with faux-drawstring drop-waist and v-neck ruching. In the 100% eco-spacedye Bamboo, I brought back the best-selling pointelle hoodie, along with a new pullover top with large crochet buttons and a unique ribbed tuck stitch detail (looks especially cute in Mesa on Kai!) My favorite dress of the season is the pointelle swing dress with just enough ruffle to make your girl want to swirl.

The final group in 100% merino spacedye was actually inspired by my own baby clothes that my Mom had saved for me when I was a baby. I have a great little collection of acrylic and wool handknit baby cardigans and dresses that I wore as a baby and that my daughter wore when she was about 3 months old. These little keepsakes were the inspiration behind this group of intricately detailed sweaters with unique stitches, crocheted and pointelle accents, and old-fashioned matching bonnets. The pom pom dress is another favorite of mine and especially charming in Laurel on Kai (loving it with the pink baby Uggs!)

We won't really debut these goodies until the March Children's Show in NYC (although you can catch a glimpse of some of the samples at the women's Coterie show right now.) I'll be shipping my first Stacia Baby merchandise to stores the end of this month for Spring so let's hope it's received well and the buyers come back for more Stacia Baby for Fall!

Behind the Scenes - Fall '08 Photoshoot

It's been a crazy month or two with preparing for the upcoming Fall shows, getting all my Fall samples done, putting Summer "into work" for production, and shipping Spring to stores - yikes! I don't think I can go a month without working on all four seasons at the same time, all at different stages that is. The fun part is getting all the samples in and finally getting to see the results of what's been in my head for 4 months! Once again, my friend Judy has come to the rescue and volunteered to model my samples so I can get some images of the looks that you'll see come this Fall.

My first group, Town & Country is for a June delivery and is actually Fall Transition. Inspired by what they call in Hawaii as "town," which is Honolulu city proper and "country," which is the rural parts of the Northshore. I've taken the bamboo one step further and developed a bamboo/cotton version which is scrumptious against the skin and a perfect transitional weight. The styling is both city and country - wear to work or to the beach literally. My favorite new silhouette is the cocoon cardigan which is a variation on the shrug, but a lot more fabric to wrap yourself into. It's the perfect 'throw-over-anything' kind of cardigan, buttonless and chic all at the same time. I've also always wanted to do a hoodie dress (as you all know, I'm a firm believer in the iconic hoodie). It's both sexy with it's plunging neckline, but sporty with it's drawstring and hood. Wear as a coverup at the beach this June or sport with some high boots when Fall actually arrives. The colors - Haiku, Seagrass, Banyan, and Lantern - are both vibrant and transitional colors perfect for all seasons.

The second group, Mission, is for true Fall and ships to stores in August. This eco-friendly group of bamboo tops, sweaters, and dresses will satisfy both form and function. My favorite look is the drawstring tunic with crochet scarf in Juniper - a new take on my signature beach tunic with its side ruching and low button placket. I especially like how the long, chunky bamboo scarf winterizes the tissue-weight bamboo tunic. For a heavier, keep-warm kind of look, I've made up the bamboo in a 7gg tuck stitch cowl neck and hoodie - a great alternative to cashmere in August. I've also brought back the bamboo/nylon dress with a great new scoop-neck shape with empire waistline and uber short for boot-wearing Fall days. The "Mission" colors are inspired by California's spanish architecture - Adobe, Mesa, Eucalyptus, Juniper, and Sequoia.

And lastly, my full-on winter group of merino spacedye and solid sweaters are sure-fire warmey sweaters you'll be sporting this September and October. Customers have requested more "pop" in my Fall palette, similar to the vivid colors I usually do in Spring. So this season, I've pumped up the color in the merino spacedye, a much needed color boost to the season of drab and boring browns, greys, and blacks that usually flood the market. Don't be afraid of color, I'm certainly not! The "Canyon" group is inspired by, well of course, the canyons of California - Laurel, Temescal, Topanga, Benedict, Coldwater, Rustic, and Malibu. And for those of you who want the same great shapes, but in solid, there's some rich, Fall colors too - Mulholland (teal), Beachwood (camel), Toluca (chocolate), Runyon (aubergine), and Mandeville (hot pink). The new belted cardicoat this season is made in a 7gg tuck stitch with a funnel neck, large hidden snap closure, and side seam pockets for a true sweater coat feel. After some success with crochet and pointelle patterns in my rayon spacedye, I've tried it out in merino too. It adds just the right amount of femininity to the wooly sweater so you can keep warm and be girly too. I love the new wide sleeved cardigan with its single crochet "power" button in lovely spacedye pointelle. And stores have been requesting a long pointelle spacedye scarf so here it is...a hell of a lot cheaper (and chicer!) than a $$$$issoni scarf!!

Behind the Scenes - Fall '08 Photoshoot

It's been a crazy month or two with preparing for the upcoming Fall shows, getting all my Fall samples done, putting Summer "into work" for production, and shipping Spring to stores - yikes! I don't think I can go a month without working on all four seasons at the same time, all at different stages that is. The fun part is getting all the samples in and finally getting to see the results of what's been in my head for 4 months! Once again, my friend Judy has come to the rescue and volunteered to model my samples so I can get some images of the looks that you'll see come this Fall.

My first group, Town & Country is for a June delivery and is actually Fall Transition. Inspired by what they call in Hawaii as "town," which is Honolulu city proper and "country," which is the rural parts of the Northshore. I've taken the bamboo one step further and developed a bamboo/cotton version which is scrumptious against the skin and a perfect transitional weight. The styling is both city and country - wear to work or to the beach literally. My favorite new silhouette is the cocoon cardigan which is a variation on the shrug, but a lot more fabric to wrap yourself into. It's the perfect 'throw-over-anything' kind of cardigan, buttonless and chic all at the same time. I've also always wanted to do a hoodie dress (as you all know, I'm a firm believer in the iconic hoodie). It's both sexy with it's plunging neckline, but sporty with it's drawstring and hood. Wear as a coverup at the beach this June or sport with some high boots when Fall actually arrives. The colors - Haiku, Seagrass, Banyan, and Lantern - are both vibrant and transitional colors perfect for all seasons.

The second group, Mission, is for true Fall and ships to stores in August. This eco-friendly group of bamboo tops, sweaters, and dresses will satisfy both form and function. My favorite look is the drawstring tunic with crochet scarf in Juniper - a new take on my signature beach tunic with its side ruching and low button placket. I especially like how the long, chunky bamboo scarf winterizes the tissue-weight bamboo tunic. For a heavier, keep-warm kind of look, I've made up the bamboo in a 7gg tuck stitch cowl neck and hoodie - a great alternative to cashmere in August. I've also brought back the bamboo/nylon dress with a great new scoop-neck shape with empire waistline and uber short for boot-wearing Fall days. The "Mission" colors are inspired by California's spanish architecture - Adobe, Mesa, Eucalyptus, Juniper, and Sequoia.

And lastly, my full-on winter group of merino spacedye and solid sweaters are sure-fire warmey sweaters you'll be sporting this September and October. Customers have requested more "pop" in my Fall palette, similar to the vivid colors I usually do in Spring. So this season, I've pumped up the color in the merino spacedye, a much needed color boost to the season of drab and boring browns, greys, and blacks that usually flood the market. Don't be afraid of color, I'm certainly not! The "Canyon" group is inspired by, well of course, the canyons of California - Laurel, Temescal, Topanga, Benedict, Coldwater, Rustic, and Malibu. And for those of you who want the same great shapes, but in solid, there's some rich, Fall colors too - Mulholland (teal), Beachwood (camel), Toluca (chocolate), Runyon (aubergine), and Mandeville (hot pink). The new belted cardicoat this season is made in a 7gg tuck stitch with a funnel neck, large hidden snap closure, and side seam pockets for a true sweater coat feel. After some success with crochet and pointelle patterns in my rayon spacedye, I've tried it out in merino too. It adds just the right amount of femininity to the wooly sweater so you can keep warm and be girly too. I love the new wide sleeved cardigan with its single crochet "power" button in lovely spacedye pointelle. And stores have been requesting a long pointelle spacedye scarf so here it is...a hell of a lot cheaper (and chicer!) than a $$$$issoni scarf!!

Santa Monica's Hidden Gem

I've lived in Santa Monica for almost 4 years now and have just come to explore one of its hidden gems - the Santa Monica Airport. No, not the actual airport itself, but all the cool stuff on its grounds. I actually just moved 3 blocks south of Santa Monica proper into Los Angeles and now I'm a quick jaunt away from the airport's restaurant hub. My husband and I checked out the popular sushi joint last night, The Hump, at the SM airport. What a fabulous little find! The restaurant literally sits above the airstrip so it's deck (with heat lamps and outdoor seating) overlooks the airplanes as they take off (little airplanes that is). It's a pretty small, intimate restaurant, but refreshingly not pretentious (as much as I love Bond St. in NYC, it's a total scene). There are several other great dining options at the airport that I'm looking forward to trying - Typhoon (Pan-Asian fare) and the Spitfire Grill (could be a good brunch option!)

The SM airport recently renovated the parking lot into a great new soccer field, dog park, and small playground for some much needed green space. On Saturdays, be sure to check out the small, manageable farmer's market. The little airport also has slowly become an incubator of sorts for aspiring artists with it's creative venues and artist studios alongside the airstrip. I'm anxious to check out the Art Walk event on March 29th this year at the airport to visit some of the galleries and enjoy live music and entertainment for my kids.

I also just happened to notice the little sign at the airport when we were leaving The Hump last night - BARNEY"S WAREHOUSE SALE! Yeah! I haven't been to a Barney's warehouse sale since the mid 90's! The big sale held at the airport's Barker Hanger starts tomorrow and runs until Feb. 12th. I can't wait to check it out on Monday on my day off. I'm in desperate need of pants. I'll let you know what I find!

Santa Monica's Hidden Gem

I've lived in Santa Monica for almost 4 years now and have just come to explore one of its hidden gems - the Santa Monica Airport. No, not the actual airport itself, but all the cool stuff on its grounds. I actually just moved 3 blocks south of Santa Monica proper into Los Angeles and now I'm a quick jaunt away from the airport's restaurant hub. My husband and I checked out the popular sushi joint last night, The Hump, at the SM airport. What a fabulous little find! The restaurant literally sits above the airstrip so it's deck (with heat lamps and outdoor seating) overlooks the airplanes as they take off (little airplanes that is). It's a pretty small, intimate restaurant, but refreshingly not pretentious (as much as I love Bond St. in NYC, it's a total scene). There are several other great dining options at the airport that I'm looking forward to trying - Typhoon (Pan-Asian fare) and the Spitfire Grill (could be a good brunch option!)

The SM airport recently renovated the parking lot into a great new soccer field, dog park, and small playground for some much needed green space. On Saturdays, be sure to check out the small, manageable farmer's market. The little airport also has slowly become an incubator of sorts for aspiring artists with it's creative venues and artist studios alongside the airstrip. I'm anxious to check out the Art Walk event on March 29th this year at the airport to visit some of the galleries and enjoy live music and entertainment for my kids.

I also just happened to notice the little sign at the airport when we were leaving The Hump last night - BARNEY"S WAREHOUSE SALE! Yeah! I haven't been to a Barney's warehouse sale since the mid 90's! The big sale held at the airport's Barker Hanger starts tomorrow and runs until Feb. 12th. I can't wait to check it out on Monday on my day off. I'm in desperate need of pants. I'll let you know what I find!